For the first time, all in one place, the award-winning books, “A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities,” and “I’m Not Talking About You, Of Course,” PLUS seven bonus essays. What a collection! If this doesn’t make you smile, then you’re not even trying.
“A Trip to the Hardware Store”
These humorous essays explore such quirky topics as: disastrous home repairs, (“A Trip to the … Trip to the Hardware Store”), an unfortunate dinner party (“Dinner is Served”), the truth about lazy people (“Lazy Bones”), the weird life of a debt collector (“Your Account is Past Due”) and obsessions with gadgets (“Gadget Girl”). Other essays examine how surreal the aging process is (“Where Did the Time Go?”), why you shouldn’t judge a person by their job (“Beyond Belief”), and how to complicate simple transactions (“High Finance”).
“I’m Not Talking About You, Of Course”
A collection of humorous insights into important topics ranging from annoying pet people (“I’m Not Talking About You, Of Course”), to analyzing your inner child (“Irrational Fears”), to living like the Amish in the aftermath of a hurricane (“A Jolt of Electricity”). Other essays examine just how much damage can be caused by a sneeze (“It All Started with a Loud Sneeze”), why it is so complicated to buy a tube of toothpaste (“Ask Me No Questions”), how a parent’s obsessive hobbies can become an inescapable vortex (“Crazy Hobbies”), and why spending the night in a sleep clinic is like being abducted by probing aliens (“Nightmare at the Sleep Clinic”).
If you don’t see yourself in each of these entertaining essays, then I’m not talking about you, of course.
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I loved this funny, thought provoking an thoroughly entertaining collection of slice-of-life essays from one of my favourite authors.
family-dynamics, friendship, situational-humor, verbal-humor, essays, short
Life in the FUN lane!
Laughed my way through the whole lot! Each vignette is funnier than the last and perfect to listen to while doing boring tasks. NOT suited to sitting in an office waiting your turn or while drinking hot beverage!
I have audio interpreted perfectly by Carrie Lee Martz who really knows comedy!
Barbara Venkataraman’s work “I’m Not Talking About You, Of Course…” is one of two “Quirky Essays for Quirky People” editions, and if I might say, quite a hoot!
Picture 20 to 30 two page stories all intertwined with repeating characters that make you chuckle or giggle. Some are about her sisters, some are about friends, others repeat characters from some of her other works… but all are funny.
It’s great for a short read between classes, before bed or listen to it on the way home from work in the car. But be careful, you may laugh yourself into one of her silly situations!
This is a humorous collection of essays that covered a wide range of topics such as pets, home repairs, and dinner parties. This is a quick read that you can read in one day or over a few days between your errands. I would like to warn you that you may laugh out loud while reading. I recommend this book to anyone that would like to read about an entertaining view of everyday life and problems.
I received a copy of this book from the author in hopes I would submit a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
Barbara Venkataraman – A Smidge of Crazy – Quirky Essays for Quirky People – If You Would Have Listened to Me in the First Place – Reviewed 2/22/21 – Read 2/12-17/21
Humor is the cure-all for almost anything, and Ms. Venkataraman can give it as good as it gets!
A Smidge of Crazy
This is a collection of thoughts that sometimes drives people crazy… I mean have you ever looked down and seen a key on your keyring and thought to yourself, “What the heck does that go to?” Or do you get those ads on your cell or computer that you just cannot figure out how in the world you would get something like that sent to you? This and many other quirky things that people think about, but never talk about are discussed in this humorous collection of thoughts.
Quirky Essays for Quirky People
This is a collection of all her Quirky essays in one book. There are two in here that hit me in the heart. A Trip to the Hardware Store is about Barbara’s father and his handiness around the house. It reminded me of my father. My dad was a great person that could build a big rig, run a trucking company, have dozens of men working for him, remake the best toys from Christmas to Christmas, help with the pets especially the rabbits, take me hunting, riding and so many other things, but please do not ever hand him a hammer and nails! The other one was the sleep clinic. Mine was the birth of my second son. I knew that I was in labor and so off we went to the hospital. But when we got there, they told me that I was not even ready to be admitted. Rather than drive clean across town again, my mother and I decided that we would have lunch and just wait around and see what happens. Wouldn’t you know it, right in the middle of the best grill cheese sandwich I ever had, my son decided it was time…. You know when we went back, they still said it was too early. Well, my mom had had enough and for a little gal of under 5 foot, she proceeded to have me admitted, much to the staff’s dismay. Less than an hour later my son made his debut, to the amazement of the staff! You know I never did get to eat the rest of that darn grill cheese sandwich! LOL
If You’d Just Listened to Me in the First Place
This is all about Ella Boudreaux and how she became a bill collector. One of the funniest stories that I have read since I finished Quirky Essays. I loved this story! There were quite a few places that I could apply my own similar situations, but we will not go into that. I do not think anyone that I know would call me great at nagging…
What did I like? All three of these books had me in stitches! There were so many places that I could apply these circumstances to myself, as I am sure you will too. Barbara puts them in black and white and lets us laugh at ourselves. One of the things that I love about Barbara’s books is the way that she uses words to make us happy, but I never fail to learn something that I had never in my life thought I would ever use.
What will you like? Barbara loves words and laughter, maybe not in that order but she enjoys making people happy. Her love of writing has been a joy to the world, and you will find that you too will learn something, if not but the fact that you do have that belly laugh in you. Do not forget to check out her other books and her Flash Fiction on Holidays. They will keep the laughter rolling around all year long. In addition to her funny books, she also is the author of the Jamie Quinn Mystery Series. Plus, her son, Josh, and Barbara wrote a book together, “Accidental Activist” which is certainly amazing. All about how a college assignment became a battle. Check them all out, you cannot go wrong, and you just might laugh along the way.
@ddeegott